2.2. Debit orders
2.2.4 Types of debit orders
This section has been updated to reflect case law and legislative changes up to 31 December 2023. For the previous version of this section please refer to the "Case Law of the Boards of Appeal", 10th edition (PDF). |
The debit order may be a debit order for individual fees or an automatic debit order, in each case for one or more patent applications. By filing an automatic debit order, the deposit account holder authorises the EPO to debit fees automatically as the proceedings progress (see Annex A.1 to the ADA – Arrangements for the automatic debiting procedure (AAD), Supplementary publication 3, OJ 2022, and e.g. T 1474/19 and T 342/21). The automatic debiting procedure is open only to applicants, patent proprietors and their representatives, but not to opponents (whether in first-instance proceedings or as a party to appeal or review proceedings), third parties or persons (other than the applicant or patent proprietor) who inspect the file (see point 1.3 AAD, point II of Annex A.2 to the ADA and e.g. T 71/21 in this chapter III.U.2.2.5).